DIABETES People without diabetes make insulin in their pancreas. Children with diabetes must be given free access to water and the bathroom …
DIABETES
Teachers and child-care providers are likely to have a child with Type 1
diabetes in their care at some point in their career This page provides
basic information about diabetes, offer suggestions for how to care for
children with diabetes, and refers you to other sources of information
What is Type 1 Diabetes?
Type 1 diabetes, previously called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent
diabetes, is an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys insulin-
producing beta cells in the pancreas Insulin is required by the body to
use glucose, the simple sugar into which foods are broken down by our
digestive system Without insulin, the body starves to death Its
important to note that everyone is insulin-dependent People without
diabetes make insulin in their pancreas People with Type 1 diabetes must
inject insulin
|Implications for School |
|Diabetes is not contagious And though there is no cure, diabetes|
|can be managed with insulin injections, blood sugar monitoring, |
|proper diet and exercise |
High and Low Blood Sugars
Children with diabetes face two
problems that teachers need to understand:
hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia You should learn the symptoms and how to
treat each
Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, occurs when the blood sugar level is too
low, due to too much insulin, too little food, or too much exercise
Children with low blood sugar sometimes behave erratically or act sleepy,
and are often very hungry and shaky Low blood sugar must be treated
immediately by giving the child foods with simple sugars, such as glucose
tablets, fruit juice or regular NOT diet soda If you suspect that a
child has low blood sugar, do not leave the child unattended because the
child can lose consciousness Never send a child who you suspect has a low
blood sugar to the nurse or clinic alone
Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, occurs when the blood sugar level is
too high, due to too little insulin or too much food Children with high
blood sugar sometimes act lethargic and sleepy, and are often very thirsty
and need to go to the bathroom a lot High blood sugar is treated by giving
additional insulin and sugar-free drinks, such as water or diet NOT
regular soda Children with diabetes must be given free access to water
and the bathroom
whenever they feel the need Prolonged hyperglycemia due
to insufficient insulin can lead to a very serious condition called
diabetic ketoacidosis, which can lead to coma and death
|Implications for School |
|Some teachers think that kids with diabetes sometimes pretend|
|to feel low or high to get out of the classroom, or to get |
|out of an activity that they do not like This is very |
|unlikely Most kids with diabetes dont want to be different,|
|and they dont want their diabetes to cause them to be |
|treated differently If you think this is a problem, speak |
|with the childs parents, but do not deny the childs request|
|for water or a blood sugar test |
How is Diabetes Treated?
Children with Type 1 diabetes are treated with insulin taken via injections
or using an insulin pump, blood sugar monitoring, a carefully managed diet
and exercise Frequent blood glucose tests help determine the correct
amount of insulin to take and help identify low and high blood sugars
Children must be allowed to test their blood sugar at school Testing in
the classroom is preferred by many parents, since it minimizes
time away
from the classroom Other parents prefer testing in a clinic Children
should be permitted to check their blood sugar whenever and wherever they
want
Insulin Injections
Insulin must be injected because it is broken down by the digestive
system and is rendered ineffective There have been experiments with
insulin nasal sprays and eye drops, but the results have not been
encouraging Insulin syringes have thinner and smaller needles than
most people realize and the injections are not as uncomfortable as
vaccinations
Most children with Type 1 diabetes inject insulin several times a day
Some people take two shots, one before breakfast and one before
dinner They use two different kinds of insulin: one short acting and
one long acting Other kids take three or more injections per day,
with one shot of short acting insulin taken before each meal, and long
acting taken with the pre-breakfast and pre-dinner shots
Some kids with diabetes use an insulin pump instead of taking
injections An insulin pump is about the size of a pager Kids can
wear it on their belt or carry it in their pocket A thin
tube
connects the pump to a small canula thin tube inserted under the
skin that delivers insulin continuously Kids who use an insulin pump
give themself extra insulin to cover each meal that they eat
Pen injectors make it easy for kids to do their own injections, either
in the classroom or in the clinic Injecting through clothing is
perfectly safe Bathrooms are not a good place to do injections
because they are often not very clean
|Implications for School |
|Kids who inject insulin before lunch might need a little |
|extra time before lunch to accommodate their injection |
|Kids who use an insulin pump will take extra insulin as |
|needed to cover food |
Blood Sugar Monitoring
Children with diabetes check their blood sugar many times per day A
blood sugar check involves pricking a finger with a lancet and placing
a drop of blood on a special test strip A blood sugar meter analyzes
the test strip and reports the blood sugar level, usually in less than
one minute This process is called blood sugar testing, blood sugar
checking or
blood sugar monitoring They all mean the same thing
Some children with diabetes are required to do blood sugar checks
during the school day Many do a check before lunch Doing a blood
sugar check is simple enough that most grade school children can be
taught how to do it themselves Younger kids might need some adult
supervision
There is considerable debate about whether children should do blood
sugar checks in the classroom or in a school clinic Older children
are sometimes more conscious of their diabetes, especially if newly
diagnosed, and may not feel comfortable checking their blood sugar in
the classroom in front of their friends Kids who are diagnosed very
young and know only life with diabetes are often more open about
diabetes and are comfortable checking their blood sugar in front of
friends Proponents of in-class checking argue that kids who check in
the classroom spend more time in the classroom and are not at risk for
having problems while walking to the clinic
Proper education of teachers and school staff by parents prior to
school starting can help eliminate the
anxiety many teachers feel
regarding in-classroom blood sugar checking For kids who check in the
classroom, parents should provide a blood glucose meter that can
remain in the classroom, a lancing device and lancets, a sharps
disposal container such as the B-D Home Sharps Container for proper
disposal of the lancets, and emergency glucose for treatment of
hypoglycemia Lancing devices and blood glucose meters should not be
shared, even among kids with diabetes
Regardless of where a child performs blood sugar checks, they must be
allowed to check at school The Americans with Disabilities Act and
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act establish the legal
basis for blood sugar monitoring at school
|Implications for School |
|Children with diabetes must be allowed to check their |
|blood sugar at school When a child with diabetes has low |
|blood sugar hypoglycemia, he or she must be given access|
|to emergency glucose to treat the low blood sugar When a |
|child with diabetes has high blood sugar hyperglycemia, |
|he or she must be allowed free access to water and the
|
|restroom |
Meal Planning
Children with diabetes usually follow a meal plan Meal plans come in
many varieties, and is usually tailored specifically to the needs of
each child Parents should provide teachers and day care providers any
specific instructions, such as what foods must be avoided and what to
do when food treats are brought in by other students
Parents should also provide morning and afternoon snacks for those
children with diabetes who require them These snacks usually consist
of protein and carbohydrates, such as crackers with peanut butter
Children with diabetes who require snacks, but who are not allowed to
eat them when required, are at very high risk for hypoglycemia For
these kids, snacks are part of the essential medical care and are not
optional
|Implications for School |
|All children with diabetes must be allowed to have ready |
|access to emergency glucose to counter the effects of |
|hypoglycemia Left untreated, hypoglycemia can lead to |
|loss of consciousness, convulsions and coma Also,
|
|teachers must allow kids with diabetes to eat snacks when |
|prescribed by their doctor |
Exercise
Exercise is important for all kids, and kids with diabetes are no
exception Diabetes does not prevent a child from participating in any
exercise or outdoor activity Gym class physical education and
recess can, however, be a challenging time for kids with diabetes
since exercise, like insulin, works to lower blood sugar Teachers
should know if a child has diabetes so they can provide help if
needed
Children with diabetes often eat an additional snack before
participating in strenuous exercise A good rule of thumb is 15 grams
of carbohydrates for each 30 minutes of exercise
If gym or recess is immediately before lunch, for example, kids with
diabetes should be allowed to eat a snack before participating Kids
with diabetes should be allowed to carry emergency glucose to treat
hypoglycemia, especially if they will be outside, far away from the
clinic or classroom
|Implications for School |
|Physical education teachers and athletic
coaches should |
|consider keeping a supply of emergency glucose on hand to |
|treat hypoglycemia Parents can provide glucose tablets, |
|which work best and will not be confused with candy |
Source:roysecityisd.com
